As chocolate eggs, marshmallow bunnies and hot cross buns start filling supermarket shelves, it can be easy to forget the origins of the Easter celebrations. Unlike Christmas and Valentine's Day which fall on the same days every year, the Easter holiday dates change annually. Easter will always fall on a Sunday with Good Friday just before, followed by Easter Monday the day after. Easter can fall as early as 22 March, or as late as 25 April, as Western Christianity dictates it must always fall on the next full moon after Spring equinox.
Many Christians worldwide celebrate Easter with special church services, music, candlelight, flowers and ringing of church bells. In addition to Easter's religious significance, it also has a commercial side.
The exact origins of this religious feast day are unknown, but some claim the word Easter is derived from Eostre, a Teutonic goddess of spring and fertility. Easter is an entire season of the Christian church year rather than just one day of celebration; the 40-day period leading up to Easter Sunday is known as Lent and is a time of reflection and penance.
Food is a big part of the Easter celebrations in the UK with family and friends getting together for Easter Lunch. The most traditional dish is roast lamb which is often followed by a Simmel cake and lots of chocolate eggs. Tables will be filled with spring flowers such as daffodils, white lilies and tulips, and yellow and gold often feature heavily in decorations.
Easter festival commemorates the resurrection of Jesus from the dead and is celebrated across the world. It begins from the Lent and ends with Holy Week, which includes Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and finally Easter Sunday. In Latin Easter is known as Pascha.